This invention relates to an automatic working method of castings which comprises the steps of producing castings by a die-casting machine; carrying the castings to a trimming press by means of an industrial robot; trimming the castings by the press; separating scrap or runner refuse from the trimmed castings; and finally removing the trimmed castings and scrap from the press.
Hitherto, castings produced by a casting machine have been manually supplied to a trimming press. However, manual handling of castings is accompanied with danger to an operator, and moreover the efficiency of said manual handling is subject to certain limitations.
To eliminate the above-mentioned drawbacks, it has been proposed to install an industrial robot between a casting machine and trimming press for automatic transfer of castins to the trimming press. However, application of an ordinary industrial robot sometimes led to various drawbacks that where any slight discrepancy arose in the timing in which a casting is carried by the industrial robot or the casting was brought by the robot to a point displaced from a prescribed position, then the succeeding machines failed to be properly operated, probably giving rise to the occurrence of a serious accident.
To eliminate the above-mentioned difficulties, it is necessary to use a vary reliable industrial robot of high efficiency. However, such industrial robot has the disadvantage of being extremely expensive. At present, therefore, castings are delivered from a die-casting machine to a trimming press mostly by the hand. The situation has not ripened yet for application of an industrial robot for said delivery. The above-mentioned circumstances have considerably hindered the manufacture of castings by an integral process as well as saving of manpower and centrallized control in said manufacture and the automatic operation of a die-casting plant.